This invention relates to sports sandals. Sports sandals have become popular in recent years, to enable active athletic activities to be performed while wearing the sandals. Examples of two types of such sports sandals are those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,584,782 and 4,793,075 to Thatcher. The structure in U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,075 employs an adjustable toe strap, an adjustable ankle strap, an adjustable heel strap, and a lateral strap anchored between the toe and heel straps slightly above and parallel to the outer edge of the sole as a critical feature. Adjustment of the individual straps, in combination with this critical lateral strap, is said to provide good retention of the sandal on the foot. Alternative sports sandal structures have included those with multiple lacings, and those with toe thongs. These, however, are not considered particularly comfortable, especially for active athletic activities.
Many other sandal strap arrangements have been marketed and/or proposed over the centuries, but most have not been useful for, or even intended to be used for, athletic activities. An athletic sandal must not only have good foot support and stability, but also capability of assured retention on the foot during vigorous activities.
It would be a significant advantage of a sport sandal to be able to quickly, with one movement, adjust all portions of the sandal to cause excellent fit for a particular size and shape foot, and to be able to simultaneously adjust all of the straps with one movement to further tighten the fit when extra vigorous activity is encountered, or to loosen the fit when less strenuous activity is envisioned.